Slow motion

This weekend has been completely different than planned, that's for sure. I was supposed to be in Dallas all weekend with the lovely and talented ladies of the Dallas Bead Society, along with the amazing Marcia DeCoster, but alas, my body had other plans for me. I knew I'd been flirting with danger, scheduling myself so tightly for weeks and weeks on end, and it finally caught up with me. Awoke Thursday morning with a fever, stuffy head, and sore throat. Goodbye, Dallas trip.

Waaaa! Okay, pity party over. Because I have to admit it's my own darned fault. The biggest irony for me is that I was planning on picking Marcia's brain about how she schedules herself so she doesn't go overboard. Whoops.

But I do already have a plan for 2010 that I'm starting to put in action. You'll see me at slightly fewer shows in 2010. Don't panic. All the biggies will still be there - the Bead Fests and Bead & Button. I'm still going to do the San Antonio Bead Market the last weekend in February. But I've already crossed my usual Stafford Bead Market in late May/early June off the calendar because it conflicts with my classes at Bead & Button this year. And no Houston International Quilt Festival in the fall. I'm still evaluating others...

You should see me doing more teaching engagements in the coming year, though. The biggest difference between the shows and the teaching weekends is the amount of time I invest. With a show, I'm frequently gone for 5 or 6 days. A teaching weekend is usually only 3 or 4. Believe me, those days away from home add up. By the end of the year, I will have spent over two months in hotels on the road. Actually, I should officially tally it - it may be more like three months. Regardless, a lot!

So I've been taking it easy on myself this weekend and only doing a bit of beading here and there. I'm relieved that this is not flu. Just a kick in the pants to do what ya'll are always telling me - take care of myself and slow down a bit. Message received.